People Are Saying This New BBC Cooking Series Is Better Than 'GBBO'

Don't get us wrong, we still watch The Great British Bake Off religiously, even now it's moved to Channel 4.

But we can't have been the only ones missing the glory days, when Mel and Sue still hosted, it lived on the BBC and the ultimate culinary Queen Mary Berry joined Paul Hollywood as a judge.

*Sob.* It will just never quite be the same.

So, it goes without saying that when we heard people likening the BBC's Best Home Cook to the OG Bake Off series', we were pretty quick to put it on series link.

BBC/ Best Home Cook)

It's not hard to see why people are comparing the two shows.

The likenesses are obvious. For one, Mary Berry is a judge, it's on the BBC, and it's got a loveable national treasure (Claudia Winkleman) as a host.

But some people have taken it a step further, and even said that, beyond sharing similarities with the popular baking show, the BBC's latest offering is actually better.

After watching Best Home Cook, one viewer wrote: "Controversial but 'Best home cook' is better than 'Bake off.' Claudia Winkleman + Mary Berry = recipe for a triumph!"

While another agreed: "I'm starting to think Best home cook knocks spots off Bake Off these days #controversial".

A third chipped in: "Potentially unpopular opinion. Best home cook is better than Bake Off! All about Mary Berry #besthomecook #GBBO #donthate".

Meanwhile, Metro writer Emma Kelly also gushed how she reckons the BBC has "hit on a winning recipe" with the similar format.

Of course, we acknowledge that branding *any* show 'better than Bake Off' is a pretty bold claim.

But with Mary at the helm, the second series of Best Home Cook (or Britain's Best Home Cook, as it was previously known) certainly promises a similar dose of hearty, British telly.

BBC/ Best Home Cook)

The series first aired last month, and despite not offering Mel and Sue and their naughty innuendos, it does feature the wonderful and equally cheeky Claudia Winkleman (of Strictly Come Dancing fame) instead.

Fresh produce importer Chris Bavin and Gordon Ramsay's protege Angela Hartnett join Mary in judging the contestants - and the idea is that, much like Bake Off, they must battle it out in a series of challenges to prove their creativity and technical skills in the kitchen.

Over eight episodes, we get to know the contestants on a personal level as they do their best to show they've got what it takes in three tricky rounds each week.

BBC/ Best Home Cook)

These are comprised of The Ultimate (showing off their tried and tested dishes), The Rustle Up (cooking a dish from scratch using a random selection of ingredients) and The Eliminator (the worst cooks of the day following recipes to the best of their ability).

Sound familiar to anyone?

Naturally, we can't blazing promise rows over Pavlovas and Hollywood handshakes.

But if you need anything to fill the Bake Off shaped hole in your life, then it's safe to say this could fit the bill.

Topics: BBC, TV News, TV Entertainment, GBBO, Great British Bake Off,

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

@joannafreedman